We all love Pixar

Top 5 Pixar films

We all love Pixar films. Anyone who says they don't is a liar, an idiot or they have no soul. Just an empty, black, vacuous hole where there heart should be or............. they've sold their soul to the devil in exchange for riches and power (I'm thinking Michael Bay). But like children, we always love one more than the others. Even if we say we don't.

So which Pixar film to you love above the others? This is my list from 1 to 5 none of this working our way backwards to built up tension.

Wall - E

I could watch Wall-E a million times and every time it would make me smile from ear to ear. I may be grumpy most of the time but, like Singing in the Rain, no film makes me smile as much as this one does. Wall-E displays more character and heart in a few bleeps, than pretty much ever character in Shrek combined.

The opening half an hour is a beautiful homage to the silent films of yesteryear, with bits of slapstick side by side with pathos, as Wall-E shows us he doesn't want to be alone. All this and there are only about three bits of dialogue in the first 30 minutes.  Despite being a robot, Wall-E has an every man appeal to him. Man,woman or defective robot they all love him and would follow him to the end of the universe. My favourite scene is the dance sequence below. Despite involving a completely inappropriate use of a fire extinguisher, I am fire warden for my department, I can't help but be bowled over by this scene every time I see it.

  

When I went to the cinema to see this film, a little girl was bawling her eyes out when Wall-E gets squashed at the end. She was utterly inconsolable to the idea that Wall-E may not survive to the credits. It's lucky for me she was, as it meant no one heard me sobbing like I'd been kicked in the nuts during the same scene!! With nods to Silent Running and even 2001, it's a bona fide classic. Computer define Pixar perfection........ Wall-E

Toy Story Trilogy

Possibly the most perfect of all cinematic trilogies, there is virtually no misstep in any of these films. Since I gave my nephew Toy Story 3 on DVD he's practically had it on a continuous loop, much to the annoyance of his parents, but hey at least it's better than Pepper Pig!

It would be perfectly acceptable to put all three films as numbers 2-4, but that would make my life much too easy. Which child hasn't imagined that their toys come to life when they turn their back, but Woody and co are more than just toys. They're fully rounded characters, who make up the sort of family we all wish we were a part of. I remember how impressive it was to see Toy Story, being bowled over by the idea that this was all computer animated. That's passed now, even rubbish animated films look impressive, but few come close to emulating Toy Story's characters or storyline. And as above had me damn near to tears during the furnace scene below!  

We'll all miss Woody and Buzz cause we've grown up with them, but at least they ended up in good home!

Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo says more about family values than any other film that you'd care to mention. The story of a clown fish wanting to protect his only son from the outside world, is a story most people can relate to, even if it does take place a thousand leagues under the sea. More than that, it shows that a family doesn't have to be related by blood, but a common idea to look out for each other. This is shown perfectly by Dory becoming an amnesiac surrogate mother to Nemo. As with nearly ever Pixar film there is a bit that brings a lump to my throat, in this one it's when Marlin thinks Nemo is dead. Seems Pixar's main modus operandi is to make grown men cry! 

My favourite scenes are whenever the seagulls appear to a cacophony of MINE, MINE, MINE, MINE. I still do this every time I see seagulls at Whitby, much to my wife's annoyance.

UP

How many children's films start with the main characters wife having a miscarriage, then dieing in the space of a few minutes.

There are few scenes in animated or live action films that are more beautifully crafted than this. No other studio would make a film out of what seems such an unsellable plot. Old man who's wife dies, in a psychotic moment attaches balloons to his house and kidnaps a small boy! As usual they nail it, making us care about the grumpy old man, whilst simultaneously perfectly capturing what dogs would say if they could talk...........SQUIRREL

Monsters Inc

Who hasn't been afraid of what might be under their bed, or in their closet? Why else do creep into our parents beds in the middle of the night, because we're afraid. Well don't worry they're not doing it to scare us, they just need electricity. Plus, if their all as huggable as Mike then there's nothing to be afraid of. Even though it's more than 10 years old, the animation looks a bit dated, the characters are still just as memorable. Who wouldn't be won over by the utterly adorable Boo, or want the evil Randall get his comeuppance. So all together now "Put that thing back were it came from oh so help me.....

And that's that. It's not to say that the other films aren't good (excluding cars which we all know is shit) just everyone has their favourites and these are mine..... so far